Given the departures of Richard Seymour, Tommy Kelly and Desmond Bryant, Floyd qualifies as a step-in-and-start player with free agent arrivals Vance Walker and Pat Sims in the rotation if the Raiders decide to keep the third pick rather than trade down to get additional selections.

McKenzie was in attendance when Floyd clocked times of 4.93 and 4.87 at his pro day in Gainesville, Fla., on March 22. More important, Floyd's explosive speed and power at 6-foot-3 and 297 pounds are evident against Southeastern Conference competition.

NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell thinks Floyd is worthy of the top pick, although the Kansas City Chiefs are expected to select a left tackle such as Texas A&M's Luke Joeckel or Central Michigan's Eric Fisher.

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"He's my favorite player that I've seen on tape," Cosell said. "He's an explosive athlete playing defensive tackle. He has really light feet. He's so gifted physically that he can play anywhere on the line, and I think he will become, like J.J. Watt, a much better pass rusher in the NFL than he was in college football."

Mike Mayock, analyst for the NFL Network, has Floyd as the No. 2 player in the nation behind Fisher.

"His ability to get up the field and disrupt the pass game is unique for a defensive tackle, and if you can get a defensive tackle that can affect the pass game, you've got something special," Mayock said. "And he's stout enough to play the run."

In terms of McKenzie's preference for character and intangibles, Floyd is off the charts, having persevered through a difficult childhood growing up in North Philadelphia

He left as the top-rated high school defensive tackle in the nation.

Going into Floyd's junior season, Florida coach Will Muschamp, knowing of Floyd's desire to give his grandmother a better life, took the pressure off in terms of making a decision to go pro.

"Coach Muschamp said, 'If you're going in the first round this year I'm kicking you out,' " Floyd told reporters at the NFL scouting combine. "I didn't have to worry about what I was going to do after this season, and it allowed me to focus on my team. After the Sugar Bowl, he shook my hand and said, 'Congratulations. Now go make your name known in the league.' "

Other possibilities for the Raiders at No. 3:

Joeckel, 6-6, 306: Most mocks that have Floyd going to Raiders have Joeckel at No. 1 to the Chiefs.